


technicolor strings, double knotted

by teamtotodile



Series: a gentle comfort in the act of repetition [1]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Other characters mentioned - Freeform, ando mcdango and so many colorful strings, friendship bracelet making, vague spoilers up to the latest lunar interlude
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-20
Updated: 2016-11-20
Packaged: 2018-09-01 01:40:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8602183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teamtotodile/pseuds/teamtotodile
Summary: Angus McDonald, boy detective and youngest member of the Bureau Of Balance, was bored on the moon.Super, super super bored on the moon. As super cool just existing on the moon was, there was only so much snooping and so many secrets he could uncover before he desired something a little more... adventurous. Or interesting. As much as he adored knowing secrets and learning more, he was starting to get just the smallest bit indifferent to it all.





	

**Author's Note:**

> JEEZ this got way too long and took me way too long to write, lmao. I initially planned to get this out before there were 200 fics on ao3 for taz, but.... that didn't happen, so here I am? 
> 
> anyway first ao3 post! woo!! quick ty to all the folks who proofread this; im love you?? y'all are the real mvps.

Angus McDonald, detective and youngest member of the Bureau Of Balance, was bored on the moon.  
Super, super _super_ bored on the moon. as super cool just existing on the moon was, there was only so much snooping ( _detective work,_ he’d correct in an almost matter of fact tone when caught. Out of all the day’s he had snooped, he’d been caught maybe three of them. He was very good at being sneaky when he wanted to be!) and so many secrets he could uncover before he desired something a little more... adventurous. Or interesting. As much as he adored knowing secrets and learning more, he was starting to get just the smallest bit indifferent.

 

Most days, Angus spent his time in the Bureau's library; a place usually filled with researchers or other bored people off the job, and now, a little boy with fancy clothes and too many questions.  
Angus learned that the folks in the library usually didn't like to be disturbed, but he only learned this after one too many adults snapped at him for sitting down with his stack of books and gently poking them with his questions and wonderings.  
Gosh, some adults could be rude! He was only trying to be polite, make some nice small talk, and maybe catch wind of a mystery or two in the process! After an almost uncountable number of encounters with those who couldn’t be bothered to treat another person with some kindness, he decided to stick to the lesser-traversed sections of the library. (Angus also learned that a few people didn’t even know he worked here! Good riddance!) 

 

The Bureau’s library was massive, to say the least; Whole shelves of untouched books that Angus took delight in taking the dust off of. He felt like a kid in a candy store, surrounded by so much knowledge, so many things forgotten. There was even a “children's” section, though it was less of a children's picture book area and more of a junior fighting guide and craft books area. 

 

Still, it beat doing nothing, so Angus sat cross-legged in the row and went through these junior combat novels and origami books one-by-one. Most of the fighting books were bland but helpful; maybe some time he'd go to Magnus and see if what he was reading was true! He wouldn't want to be a bother, though. He’d heard, from Taako, loudly and with a heavy exasperated tone, that the Director was putting his pals through pretty rigorous and bad training sets, so they probably wouldn't want some kid with too many books asking them questions at the end of the day. He wrote a note to himself in his Junior Investigator Notepad to ask Magnus about it later, though.

 

The craft books were tenfold interesting to Angus, who saw them as something of a challenge; he’d never learned how to do many things that other kids had, so maybe this could be his chance! There weren't many colored papers on the moon base, only stark (almost blinding, sterile) white, but that didn't dissuade him in the slightest. He'd stack four or five of the thin books up and carry them to a table next to a large window that looked out on the courtyard (Angus had heard the others refer to it as “The Quad”, but in his head he still gave it a more proper name) that always had a soft light spilling in. He'd sit and fold paper and draw with some old old fantasy Spirograph pen sets, and ponder how he got into this situation. A boy on the moon, folding paper cranes in between mystery solving.

 

This situation was… _different,_ but he liked it! He felt helpful, at least, and he was grateful for that. He still missed his parents home, and Rockport, and, well, everything, but… He was on the almost-moon, he reasoned, so the two couldn’t really compete. Not really. 

 

Maybe a week or so into this crafts endeavor, Angus was bored, too, of paper cranes and swords and Magmins. If he found another zentangle art or coloring book he might explode and make a real mess on all his neat paper dolls and paper mâché monsters.  
He did hang up his little art projects by the table, though. They helped to offset the otherwise bleak area he sat in, and after awhile it became something of a comfort and routine. People would look to the area in confusion, but no one tried to take anything down, so Angus assumed that they appreciated it. That, or they simply tolerated it, which was fine by him, too! 

 

The next time he went to find a new set of books to read and pore over, came across something... Different. It was a large, leather bound and heavy book with something resembling a wooden box built in to it. As Angus sat down, criss-cross in the isle with the book on his lap, he attempted to open the lid of the simple wooden box. 

 

It took a try and a half to open, but Angus dug his bitten nails under the smallest gap in the sealed lid and pried it open, dying to know what was inside; It was quite a bit of colorful string, he realized, so much that, when he opened the box, some shades of pink and a bright blue practically flew out! He grabbed it with a little, 'Gosh! Why didn't I see this one sooner!' and hauled it back to His Spot.

 

It was a friendship bracelet book! Angus had never made any sort of friendship bracelets before; he never really had any friends, nonetheless any friends his age. The box was filled with all sorts of colors, ranging from soft yellows to mints to dark, dark reds and a bright white. Any color he could think of, it was there!  
He wondered briefly how such a small compartment could hold so much string, but quickly forgot as his interest was so devoured by the concept of knots and patterns, diagrams and step-by-step instructions. 

 

He spent the rest of the day with a pin in his shoe, the strings he needed pulled taunt, attached to it. Agnsu didn't want to put his shoes up on the table, so he sat on the ground with one leg over the other so that he could easily sit and do the knots, and set to work.

 

Bracelet making was _absolutely_ his jam. The book was heavy and thick and every page or two detailed a new design, and he spent days in the library devoted to pouring over these pages like they were the newest Caleb Cleveland Kid Cop novel.  
He’d devote all day and well into the evening to this new obsession, until he was bleary-eyed and would look up from where he sat to find he was one of three or four others that had stayed well into the evening. He’d sit and until the light of the sun slanted over the table and he had to shift in his spot to be able to properly see what he was doing. Days went by slow, but with new problems to solve and new things to do, Angus barely noticed the lazy passage of time. 

 

Along with being his new favorite thing, friendship bracelet making was way way way harder than Angus was anticipating. The first few were simple- knot after knot in a less delicate and more concrete manner. He went through a few easy, and slipped each one onto his not-bracer arm. He’d walk around the bureau adorned inasmuch string as he could be, but at that point, no one paid attention to the small boy carrying a magnifying glass and trailing lines of yellow and mint and gold string; they’d seen weirder. Angus would stuff his unfinished bracelets and extra string in the pockets of his clothes, and some days, he’d go back back to his dorm (never taking the book with him) to test his memory (and because he didn’t have a big enough bag to carry it in and his arms could only handle carrying the book around for so long.) 

 

The simple fishtail was giving him a tiny bit of trouble because he tended to pull one of the strings in too tight, just too tight, and the string below it would twist and he’d need to smooth it again. He just wanted every bracelet to be perfect, and since he didn’t seem to be at a significant loss of string, he practiced whenever possible. Under the shade of one of the only trees in the whole bureau base was his favorite, but he was also fond of sitting on the steps of any of the sidewalks around, though he tended to avoid the area around the Icosagon for fear of getting in anyone’s way. Besides, he was pretty sure that as cool as seeing his friends do cool tricks would have been, he probably wouldn’t have wanted to see them be ‘put through the grinder of death, dude,’ or however Taako had worded it after one of the long days.

 

No sir, no Grinders Of Death for this detective!

 

He liked the tree the most, though; a sprawling willow, that cast warm, friendly shadows and reminded the boy of the huge tree outside of his grandfather’s home in Rockport. At first, this realization made him quite sad, and he’d avoided the place like the plague, but after awhile he’d go back as if it was an old friend. The smell of grass and earth and soft green was everything the rest of the bureau wasn’t, and Angus decided that the shade of the tree was a better place to practice friendship bracelets than a dusty library. 

 

It was maybe a month or so of practice, adorned in all sorts of patterns of bracelet and more colors than he’d seen in the whole library, maybe the whole Bureau, before he went to Magnus. From what he remembered, his fighting friend used to be a carpenter and Angus remembered that he carved that super cool duck for someone at the Candlenights party that one time! He was probably super great at carving, so Angus decided to go to him.

 

Angus paused at the door of the shared suite that Magnus, Merle, and Taako had. It was many, many steps up from his one-person dorm, and he’d only been into the place a handful of times. He was shaking just the smallest bit because, _what if they’re busy? Or Magnus is sulking, or having a bad day? What if Merle answers the door? What if no one’s home?_ All sorts of situations flashed through his mind, louder and louder until he couldn’t breathe and his glasses fogged up and he had to run away. 

 

That’s how things went for a while; Angus, slowly getting the hang of carrying the big, leather bound book around, going to the Reclaimer’s suite, and then chickening out and hyperventilating and opting return to the big tree with his head down. It made him feel so bad, so young, backpedaling like that, returning to the base of the willow with his knees pulled up to his chest. It sucked, but he guessed that was how it was going to be. His inability to talk to people first most days wasn’t anything new - he’d been unable to do what others may have deemed simple tasks (asking for things, for help, sometimes even looking a person in the eye) for as long as he could remember.  
If anything, making the bracelets helped to calm him down. Looping the string around his pointer finger and making quick three string fishtails out of his favorite colors (shades of blue, and a very soft shade of mint) was the best way, he figured out, to relieve the knot of apprehension that always seems to knot and find itself in his chest. The days passed slowly, the willow tree casting its long shadow over the bureau under a cloudless sky. 

 

Angus spent his time thinking in the library; he’d practice carrying the book up and down the aisles as he considered how to go about his plan. Maybe he’d get injured and go to them for help (‘no, no- they don’t need to worry like that!’), or he could go and talk to Magnus about the combat thing and casually ask him to create something small (“doesn’t he have enough to do, though?”). Maybe he’d go to Taako and fill him in on the gossip he’d heard around the bureau. (“I mean, Takko likes to gossip, but when he’s tired? I’d hate to be a bother…”)

 

He’d go, clam up, and then flee to the tree like it was some kind of home. The roots of the tree and the grass welcomed him, seemed to embrace him, and for the smallest of a second he would be reminded of a power greater than anything or anyone he’d ever met, and that feeling would be replaced with a warm comfort.The Willow gave the best hugs, and Angus decided that fact would be just another on his growing list of secrets.

 

One day, he stood up from his library with an look of determination in his eyes and his jaw set firm. He marched over to the living quarters and down, down, down with the book in hand (ignoring the dull, deep protesting ache in his arms every step of the way) only to pause at their door. Setting the book down (it landed with a loud thud, and Angus practically flinched at the noise, eyes wide), he put his good hand on the door and traced it’s cool surface, breathing heavy. He could do this. He coul-

 

As Angus went through his mantra, the door swung inwards! Oh gosh, he was done for! He threw his hands up in surrender, before covering his face with a yelp. His face felt warm, too warm, and the only relief to that heat were the tears starting to pool in his big brown eyes. 

 

After a long moment, he dared to peek out from behind his own fingers, at whoever had opened the heavy door. Much to his delight (and then dismay), it was Magnus. And he looked… Rough. There were dark circles under his eyes and his sideburns were aloof, and he crouched in front of Ango with a soft lethargic sincerity he hadn’t seen from anyone in a long, long time. 

 

“...H-Hello, sir…!” He chirped, disguising a sniffle with a quick movement for a handshake. He was ten years old, dang it, he couldn’t be crying in front of his friend! Even if his chest felt like it was constricting and his face felt so red it was going to explode and his big wire glasses were starting to fog up around the nose again. Shaking, he tried to look Magnus in the eye.

 

Gosh, he looked tired. Angus thought, he really shouldn't have come. He felt every bad thought and regret about this moment rise up inside him and the waterworks started up, and he fitfully wiped the tears from his eyes before they started to spill. 

 

“Ango…” The other started, brows furrowed as he reached one hand out to remove his glasses for a moment and brush away what Angus felt as a tear racing its way down his own cheek. “I-uh, what’s up, buddy? You okay?” His voice was soft and a tiny bit hoarse. 

 

Putting his own glasses back on, Angus sniffled again as he picked up the heavy book (with a small noise, a huff and an almost strained groan. That panic attack really took a lot out of him.) and looked Magnus in the eye. “I-I wanted your h-help with something, but I t-thought you were busy or tired a-and I _knew_ you were in a despondent mood after your last mission or you were t-training and _busy_ and you probably didn’t want to s-”  
“-Shhh, shhhhh, _hey._ Hey, Ango. _Angus.”_ There was a serious look in Magnus’s eyes as he took in the absolutely trembling body of his young friend. Putting one large hand on his arm, (and trying to steady him; the boy looked like a stiff wind could knock him over) he gestured to the still open door behind him. “Come inside?”

 

Angus, still sniffling, nodded and followed, book hugged tightly to his chest. 

 

They sat at a long table in the kitchen unit of the home, and the smell of incense and baked goods was so strong that Angus just… deflated, as he sat down in one of the seats. Magnus sat next to him, and a heavy silence descends in the room.  
“...Where is everyone, sir?” Angus starts, setting the book down in front of him with a heavy thud, “Aren’t you, er, supposed to be… training? N-Not to be rude or nosy, of course! I-I’m just curious.” 

 

Angus watched Mangus shift in his seat and look around before giving a small shrug and a lopsided, reassuring smile.

 

“It’s nothing, little man. Everyone’s just off doing stuff on their day off. I think Taako’s haggling at Fantasy Costco, and Merle might be back, y’know, planetside? I’m thinkin’ a _good nap_ sounds pretty great. What about you, Ango? I haven’t seen you around recently, what’s up?”

 

Angus was too busy trying to conceal a sort of weird grin, because, he’d noticed! His absence was noticed!! Magnus’s words left a nice feeling in his chest and he let out a big breath he didn't know he was holding in.

 

“Well, uh- haha, it’s...? It’s pretty dumb and childish, and I’m _10,_ which is a pretty big number… But I found this big old book full of friendship bracelet patterns!” Angus took that small pause to, with only a little difficulty, open the book to a random page. (The page detailed a pretty intricate bracelet that looked more like a large woven bangle, with small text and one grainy black and white photo for reference.) He gestured with one hand as he folded the corner to review the page later. “And, I mean, you guys are my friends, yeah? And I know you’re able to do wood carving things…..”

 

Magnus was eyeing the page with a small smile, relaxed and almost forlorn in a way that Angus didn’t really understand. “I, yeah... Yeah! I do that thing, yeah. Why, Ango?”

 

“I was thinking… Do you know how to carve small things?”

 

“Small like what? Like, uh, a spoon? Is that a small thing?” he teased. “I know you’re missing a silverware set, but wooden utensils aren’t the best, y’know?”

 

“No, no, like a… like a bead! Small wooden beads, sir? Or, uh… Charms? I’m not too sure how to go about explaining it, sir,”

 

Magnus sat back, with a small and probably over exaggerated ‘hmmmmm’, before shrugging. “I mean, _maybe?_ I made no promises, little dude.”

 

-

 

There were a lot of difficult bracelets in the book. Angus had the first few down pat, but 20 pages in the format of the instructions changed from step-by-step terrible photos to a single diagram of a pattern. It was hard to just transition like that, but the boy detective made do. 

 

These ones were more neat, and boy did he love a challenge! There were patterns with hearts and little daisies mixed in, patterns in which you could personalize and write a message with the strings, and all sorts! Most days he retired to the old tree with the book tucked beneath one let and the other crossed over that one. He’d pin the strings to his shoe with a clothes clip and he’d sit there all day, attempting new patterns and testing his memory on the old ones.

 

He could just lose himself in the task, the repetition of knots easy to slip into, comfortable as reading by an open fire.

 

“Hey, Angus!”

 

The “leaves” pattern was giving him a _real_ run for his money when someone came and sat down next to him in the grass! Angus was so distracted by his work and the task at hand that he was probably being spoken to and didn’t even hear it. 

“Ango, my man, my _dude. Buddy. Pal_ -”

 

He was so startled that he prematurely knotted the black string with two of the purples, too tight to be undone easily, and tangling up the ones that came before it. 

 

“Oh, gosh! That’s no good at all!” He exclaimed, before looking up at the one who had spoken to him. It was Magnus! He looked much better than before, the detective noted with relief, and he was looking from the boy to his work and back again. “H-Hello, sir! How are you? I’m just working on a new pattern; I’m getting _really_ far into this book!”

 

“I’m doing just fine, Ango,” he breathed out a small laugh and leaned back where he sat, against the trunk of the tree, seeming to to take in the nice afternoon sun. Though there was no wind in the Bureau’s moonbase, the willow seemed the move and sway as if there was a slow breeze. The sunlight dappling through the leaves made the whole area feel safe and comforting, and Angus almost felt weird sharing his special place with someone. That someone was Magnus, though, so he didn’t mind. “You’re doing really well with all this stuff! Sometime soon you’ve gotta teach me all this, okay?”

Angus beamed. “Yes, sir! It’s really relaxing! You’re able to just…” He paused to do some pretty extravagant hand motions, and to sit up straight and stretch his legs that were starting to cramp for staying in the same position for long. “...To just _lose_ yourself in the patterns and knots, you know? It’s really great.”

 

Magnus grinned. “Does it beat that book series you like so much. God, what was the name… Kaley Something-or-other, Child Forensic? _Something_ like that?”

 

“Oh, _heck_ no! Nothing could beat a Caleb Cleveland novel! I appreciate the joke, though- that was a real good goof!” Angus was trying to be nice, it wasn’t really that good of a goof at all. It was a mediocre goof at best, but Ango let him have it. 

 

Smiling despite the Real Bad Goof, and being the stellar detective he is, Angus noticed a small box clasped tightly in the other’s non bracer hand. Gesturing to it, Angus prompted, “What’s in the box, sir? Is it a _secret?_ A super secret?” 

 

“The most secret of secrets, kiddo,” Magnus ruffles Angus’s hair gently and Angus ducks out of the way like a kid who had read every copy of Junior Combat Limited. Magnus didn’t notice, and continued, “It’s actually those things you asked me to make! Am I allowed to, y’know, ask why you needed a ton of beads like this? I can assume, but... Don’t leave me hanging like this, little dude! I’m curious.”

 

Magnus handed the smooth box over to Angus who, practically beaming, adjusted his glasses and opened the box like it was the biggest Candlenights gift he’d ever received.  
He put both hands to his face in awe and gazed at the items inside. Closing the box as quickly as he’d opened it, he set the box down on the book and said a quick ‘thank you!’ that was probably heard after he practically tackle hugged Magnus, arms barely wrapping around his chest. 

 

“Thank you, thank you s-so much, sir!” could be barely heard from where Angus had his face pressed to Magnus’s side. “These are absolutely what I needed. You really are a good carpenter, huh!”  
Magnus, stiff as a board, slowly reached to put his arms around the young boy, letting out a small chuckle. Angus pretended not to notice how taken back his friend was at the hug, deducing that he probably didn’t get hugged too often. He decided to resolve this by simply hugging tighter.

 

-

 

Angus gave the first bracelet to Taako, which in all honestly was less of a conscious decision and more of spur of the moment decision. Or, not a decision at all, but an unusual circumstance. 

 

When the wizard had offered to teach him a bit of magic, the detective had been ecstatic. Even now, later into his training, he waited while trying to stifle his grin, while the gift weighed heavy in his pocket. Though he was usually tapping his foot and bouncing up and down just the tiniest bit, his normal excitement was being combated by the smallest amount of pre-gift-giving anxiety. As he waited on the steps of the Bureau’s Cafeteria and Mess Hall, the same old doubts flashed through his mind, almost like a clockwork alarm. 

 

What if he doesn’t like it? What if he _lies_ , and pretends to really, really like it? His friend could be… Well, Taako wasn’t the _best_ liar, to put it simply. It was really hard to lie up front to the worlds (or... the _moon's_ ) greatest detective; if he didn’t know body language down pat, what kind of detective would he be? Sitting down once more (Angus had begun to pace back and forth on the steps, without realizing it), he pondered whether this wasn’t such a good idea after all…

 

As these doubts barreled through his head, Taako - in usual fashion - practically sauntered up, umbra staff hooked on one arm. Angus looked up at him with wide eyes, blinking rapidly to dispel tears that were threatening to spill while adjusting his glasses as if the action would disguise the shine in his eyes.  
.  
“H-Hello, sir!” he watched the other make his way up the stairs while flashing a peace sign in his direction.“It’s magic day again, huh! Gosh!”

 

Taako paused next to him, did a- _probably_ over dramatic- sigh, and gave a single, slow nod.  
“Yep. Magic day. _Woo-hoo_ and shit, right?” Angus nodded, eagerly, hand in his sunday vest pocket where the bracelet was held. “ _Yeah,_ magic day, with your good ol’ pal, huh? How’s, uh, how’s mage hand coming along?”

 

“Oh, it’s going super, _super_ well, sir,” Angus lied in a brief moment of absolute panic. In learning all the friendship bracelet patterns and working on his gifts, he’d completely forgotten to practice mage hand. “I’ve been practicing a whole bunch, I really think i’ve got a solid magical hand down!”

 

He quickly took his hand out of his pocket to try and cast the spell, and as he did, out went flying the bracelet!. It flew down some of the steps and Angus tried not to yell, or cry, or run after it, as it bounced and found its way to a small divot where weeds started to creep through the concrete.. (Why were there even weeds on the _moon??_ ) It was so far away! He hoped Taako hadn’t noticed.

 

Taako had noticed. Or, he seemed to, following the flickering gaze of one boy detective down the steps as said boy tried his hardest to conjure his spectral hand. After a few moments, and a small ‘aha!’ that sounded more pained and worried than excited, a small hand with four fingers and a very large palm appeared and practically quivered in the afternoon sun. 

 

If Angus wasn’t shaded by his fancy hat to match the vest (“Can’t go out wearing just a vest and nice shoes, you know? You have to go all or nothing when dressing sharp!”), he could have used an alibi. He could have made a claim that the sun got in his eyes, or- or that the hat fell down mid-cast! And not that the gift he’d spent two weeks perfecting just went flying into the weeds and that he can't do anything about it because it's supposed to be a _surprise_ and- 

 

“You alright, champ?” Taako peered at Angus, frowning at the blue incorporeal hand that quaked as if terrified of what Taako was going to say next. “Usually you can conjure up a hand like this, no sweat, something up?”  
“Y-Yes, sir!” Angus mistakenly stammered, inching his way little by little towards the spot where the bracelet had fallen, trying his hardest not to look at it too much as he went (and failing spectacularly). “Wait, I-I mean, No, sir! Uh, just, I just dropped my lucky pen!” he choked out a forced laugh. “My lucky magic pen, that’s it!” 

Boy howdy, he sure was digging himself into a hole here, wasn’t he. 

 

“Lucky magic pen… Right,” Angus and Taako both had a brief moment where their eyes met, they both looked in the same direction, then back at each other, before the two of them took off down the steps towards the same goal. Taako, with his longer legs was almost matched by the sheer panic that had overcome his small friend in this very moment, and the wizard beat him to the spot with a moment to spare, searching with his Keen Wizard Eyes for something out of the ordinary. 

 

A brightly colored friendship bracelet was most certainly out of the ordinary. He grabbed for the string of knots - “well, this sure ain’t a pen, that little liar”- that was chilling next to some not-yet flowering dandelions just as Angus, with a mighty war cry, tried to tackle him. Being 5 foot nothing, at first the boy did nothing but push the wizard back a fraction of an inch, but a determined gleam in his eye caught Taako off guard and the detective practically pushed the older boy off of his feet and onto the ground, all while still yelling. Angus grabbed for the- what taako could now tell- bracelet, red in the face and glasses askew.  
Taako held it just out of reach, Angus practically crawling on him towards the hand as Taako himself tried to inspect the item while keeping the boy at bay. 

 

The bracelet was simple in looks, a wide arrow pattern - seven strings, if Taako had to shoot a guess - all different but equally soft shades of blues and pinks and purples and yellows. The string was oddly comforting and soft to the touch and though the knots were very messy in some spots, it was really lovely. The main event was the charms that had been done in to go with the pattern of the bracelet, resting in the middle in a small gap in the pattern. One charm detailed an umbrella, with the craftwork that could only be one person’s. Another charm was what Taako assumed to be a cookbook (or maybe just any old book, who knew). There was an open hand charm that had such small and intricate little patterns carved into it that Taako brought it up to his eyes and the noon day sun to inspect. 

 

“Give it back, give it back! That’s mine, sir, _please_!”

 

The last charm was a little train engine with a hole through the middle where the string could go through. It was less of the sleek Rockport Limited train look and more of an ode to the generic if not tasteful fancy steam train look. 

 

“It was supposed to be a surprise, sir! I-its a gift! This wasn’t- this wasn’t how you were supposed to get it! Sir! _Taako_!” Angus was practically perched on his chest now, weighing nothing but shaking so terribly and with a pitiful look in his eyes, knowing that his surprise had been ruined. His eyes were shine as tears threatened to spill, and his cap was askew and his glassed had completely fallen off in the tussle, left on the stairs next to them. 

 

Taako sat up, abruptly, spilling the boy detective onto the ground next to him in a mess, and Angus immediately hopped up and went to grab for the bracelet again.Taako let him grab it without resistance. Angus looked… surprised, but held his hands to his chest apprehensively as if his friend was going to make a grab for the gift once more. His nose was running a teeny bit, and he wiped at his face with his undershirt sleeve, breathing heavy and shaking like a leaf. “T-This was supposed, to, to be a gift! For you! B-but you just ran away and grabbed it while i tried to do the mage hand, which I didn’t even p-practice, and- and now the surprise is just _ruined_ and y-” 

 

“You made that for _me_?” Taako sounded like he was at a loss for words, frowning in a way that was more than just the casual (and usually joking) lack of understanding that the wizard usually had. He seemed taken back, dazed, and just a tiny bit flabbergasted. He crouched so that he was looking Angus in the eye- or, _almost_ was- and frowned. 

 

Angus nodded, quickly, sniffling all the while. 

 

“Can… Can i see it, Ango? I mean, I bet it’s rad, like, super _duper_ rad- I want to see it, yeah? Can’t compliment ya if I don’t have the thing yet, right? Hey, hey- i’ll even close my eyes!” Taako, true to his word, covered his eyes with one hand. 

 

Angus handed over the bracelet, anxiety almost melting into a calm sort of anticipation as he waited for the other’s reaction to the gift. He watched Taako remove his hand from his face, and give a sort of theatrical gasp, looking at the gift as if he’d never seen it before. Angus covered his mouth with his hands, eyes wide.

 

Taako absolutely _digged_ it. He slipped on the gift without a second thought, and admired the careful knots and beads and twisted his hand to and fro to test the weight of it. It was more heavy than he would have liked, with the beads and all, but he’d make do. 

 

“Sir? Do you like it…?” 

 

“Angus, I _love_ it. Holy _shit_ ”  


-

 

The second bracelet he made was for Magnus, and Angus McDonald swore that this exchange would go more smoothly than the first. Angus only had one problem- he couldn't find the guy!

For such a big dude, he really could hide! Angus was almost absolutely sure he was hiding- anyone that Angus couldn't find with his skills in detective work really, really didn't want to be found.  
or, Angus was looking everywhere but the right place.

(in hindsight. Maybe the library and the training done and all sorts weren't the best places to look?)

But, Magnus wasn't in his quarters; Angus just didn't know where that guy could be! He decided to talk a short walk, absentmindedly braiding a small fishtail with his index finger acting as the tie off point. He totally wasn't looking where he was going, which was very impolite of him to do, but he couldn't help it! After all the small bad and messy encounters with his friends he legitimately considered leaving the other two bracelets in a box outside of their door and leaving it at that.

He couldn't do that, though, that would be rude! Angus's grandfather always said that you have to give gifts in person or not at all. Angus knew that this was only said so that the man could get his silverware on time- and then angus remembers never giving his grandpa the set and-

He runs into someone very solid and very, very cold, and… dripping with _water_?

"Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry, sir! I wasn't looking where I was walking and I ran into you! I'm super sorry," he started, stuffing the start of his bracelet into his pocket and looking up at the figure.

It was his pal! It was Magnus! It was Magnus, water just barely dripping from his sideburns. He had a far off look in his eyes and was wearing a warm jacket over his soaked clothes, which didn't really look too smart at all. Angus decided not to comment on the getup, instead cocking his head to the side and adjusting his glasses while shooting his friend the most scrutinizing gaze he could.

"O-Oh, hey, Angus..! you really gotta pay attention to where you’re walking, dude," Was Magnus not trying too hard to mask the feelings of premonition that seemed to drip from his words like the water that still clung to him? There was a distinct wobble in his voice as Angus took a moment to do as any good detective would, to asses the situation. Furrowed eyebrows. Shoulders hunched and lips pursed slightly, moving one hand to touch his own ear, before moving back to rest behind his neck; _guilty_. Angus frowned. 

 

“Are you... _Alright_?” As straight to the point as any other ten year old would be but cocking his head to the side with a weird glint in his eye, Angus tried to place just how this situation was... happening. Was there a secret moon pool he didn’t know about, or something? If there was, the boy detective was going to have to have a stern but jovial conversation about pool privileges with the director in the near future. Gosh, he could learn to swim! Did Taako know how to swim? Angus suddenly found his thoughts running wild, as they often did, and he momentarily stood with furrowed brows staring off into nothing (into Magnus, or behind magnus, or into magnus, sussing him out). 

 

This, of course, left the other to come up with the perfect alibi.

 

“Oh, uh… Yeah, i’m alright, Ango,” Magnus started, mirroring Angus’s pose (one hand in his pocket, the other resting behind his neck. He’s trying just a teeny bit too hard, Angus thinks) “I just- just got out of the shower and decided to take a walk, is all. The weather on the moon base is… is really good this year, yeah?”

 

Jeez. Yikes. Angus better not ask, even though every part of him, every detective atom in his 10 year old body was burning with an intense desire to know just what happened. The far off glossy look in his friend’s eyes was something that Angus wished he understood. 

 

Every good detective knew when to quit asking questions, but he mentally added it to his ever growing list of things to ask Magnus in the near future. 

 

“I-I mean, it’s the moon, and i’m not too sure about how the weather and seasonal cycles work up here because it’s the moon, but, yeah! Right now, i-it’s quite lovely!” The base could be quite dreary sometimes but with the slant of the sunset turning the whole place the most wonderful shade of amber Angus swore he wouldn’t ever wish to be anywhere but here. 

 

(That was a lie, though- he missed his home, his bed, his parents; You can’t have those things when you’re saving the world, though, so Angus put on a brave face and told himself that he shouldn’t be dwelling on the past.)

 

“W-would you mind if I accompanied you on your walk, sir?” Angus bit his lower lip, hand in his pocket clenching around the intricate bracelet haphazardly stuffed there. “Oh! I-I’ve been reading a super neat combat novel, if you want to hear about it!” 

 

Magnus smiles, as he does, and says that he’d like that a whole bunch. They walk. Angus fills him in on his time in the library- leaving out the craft books as to not spoil his surprise. He mostly discussed the combat novels (“I can even do a combat roll, sir! And I know all the best pressure points to go for!”) and the things he’d heard in the halls of the bureau that he probably shouldn't be repeating. Magnus seemed content with listening. 

 

He couldn’t help it, rambling on and on; he just wanted to help his friend forget about whatever was troubling him! That was what friends were for, right? He just wanted to help, and so what if he hadn’t _talked_ to anyone, not really, for a long while. So what if he wanted someone to listen to him? If it was helping both of them, Angus didn’t see the problem.

 

Before Angus knew it, the two of them were silhouettes in the afternoon sun outside of the elevator that led down to Magnus’s quarters. Sometimes, Angus really envied the people who bunked with others- that would be like a sleepover every night! Instead, he had his simple single bunk, but Angus didn’t mind too much.  
Sometimes, it sucked, though. Right now especially. At least Magnus had cheered up some, even if he was still a bit cold to the touch. 

 

“Thanks for walkin’ with me, Ango. I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?” Magnus started, before the smaller boy grabbed his hand (well, two of his fingers were grabbed, anyway) with a grip that was far too tight.

 

“Wait, sir, I… I have something for you,” the previous vigor in which the detective had spoken about his days in the bureau had dissolved into an adolescent insecurity, and he took a moment to readjust his glasses and puff out his chest just a teeny bit (it was in a book he read- body language to improve others thoughts on you. He’d bookmarked and highlighted the book to death). “Taako d-didn’t ruin the surprise, right? I already gave him his and I really hope that he didn’t show you already because i’ve been working so hard all month on this and-”

 

“Angus, hey, talk to me, yeah? I can tell this is super super important to you, buddy- is it a dog? Please say it’s a dog, it’s a dog, right?” If Magnus had one skill other than punching and hurting things, it was calming people down. Angus went into a small giggle fit at the concept of having a dog in his pocket, shoulders shaking as he and Magnus both had a much needed laugh. .

 

After a good laugh, a good goof, Angus continued, “No, no, sir, it’s no dog. I’ll keep that in mind though,” Magnus’s face lit up like a christmas tree and Angus laughed because, he was making his friend laugh! He felt a small bubble of pride rise up in him, at being helpful, and cheering his friend up. “It’s, uh…. It’s something that i’ve been working on for a real long time! I hope you like it,”

 

Angus took the bracelet out of his pocket and held it up by the loop in front of Magnus, almost desperate for confirmation that it was something the other would adore. The bracelet was wide, in a diamond pattern with soft reds and browns. There was a shade of copper colored string that criss-crossed through it all, and the knots were a bit loose and messy and were a bit long. Angus didn’t know how big his friend’s wrist was, so he’d gone for more rather than less, just in case. There was a soft shade of pink to offset the shades of salmon and maroon, and it was one of the most lovely things Magnus had ever seen.  
The bracelet had, dangling off of it, three charms- his own handiwork, and damn good ones at that. One charm was a shield, intricate designs carved into the shield face: another was a closed fist with spikes on the front, probably an almost replica of phantom fist from someone who talked too fast and paid too much attention: the third charm was a simple train. 

 

Magnus looked from the bracelet, to Angus, and back again. He took the gift in his own hand, softly, as if it would disappear if he was any less gentle. He was grinning, so so wide, and Angus mirrored his facial expression, and his body shook with a sort of quiet breathy laughter. 

 

“I didn’t know what your favorite colors were, so I-I just sort of winged it? Do you like it? The diamond chevron pattern took me a good three days to conquer, sir, and i’m very proud of it!” Angus anxiously switched his weight from one leg to the other, looking up at his friend with wide eyes. He was probably talking too much, but when he was worried or anxious or anything like that he just couldn’t stop himself from babbling on and on! (As the world's greatest detective, he really had to get better at that, but he was only ten years old, so he cut himself a teeny bit of slack with that for now, even if sometimes the guilt was too much to bear).

 

“Ango, this is…” Magnus looked like he didn't know the best word to describe how he felt, standing there with a small bracelet held in his open palm, with the light of the sunset illuminating one small boy with a vest and quite nice clothes hanging on to his every word. “This is the best thing I have ever received, ever. Double ever. How’d you even..?”

 

And Magnus trailed off again again as he brought the bracelet up to his face for what Angus assumed was a _special inspection_. He held the bracelet in the soft light and admired the careful knots and charms with the eyes of a craftsman. “How’d you even do this, dude? This is so rad? I bet even the _Director_ can’t do something this cool!” 

 

Angus squinted at his friend, half brimming with excitement and joy, the other half that same knot of apprehension, “You kill awesome monsters a-and see just the coolest things every other day, and you’re… _Impressed _, by a couple of knots in a nice and aesthetically pleasing pattern? I’m sorry to be blunt, sir, but are you lying?”__

__

__His friend looked like Angus had just taken his words and thrown them in the metaphorical trash can; his face fell, and he crouched down with the bracelet still in his hand to look Angus in the eye (or, almost.) “Angus-”_ _

__

__“-No, no! It’s okay if you don’t like it, sir,” he interrupted, “I’m ten years old, you can be frank with me.” With that statement, Angus made a grab for the bracelet in Magnus’s hand. (He briefly took in the fact that his own hands were so dwarfed by those of his friend, and that he was still so young, and that he shouldn’t really be with the Bureau at all. His heart felt heavy in his chest.)_ _

__

__“Hey, no,” Magnus took a moment to move the bracelet away from the smaller boy, who stumbled forward just a small amount as the arm he’d begun to lean on to grab the bracelet was moved away. “It- This is- It’s so good, Ango, okay? Today’s just really been a day and I really wish I could say more than this but I am so so drained of energy, and-”_ _

__

__“-Is that because of me talking too much? Oh gosh, i’m sorry for, uh-”_ _

__“Angus.” Magnus fixed the boy with his best ‘oh-my-god-please’ look, and Angus, with his shoulders brought in tight and fingers idly tapping on his pants leg, looked back. “It’s not you, okay? You’ll never talk too much, and I wish that I could tell you how hecking rad I think this bracelet is, but I am so, so, tired. Today has really been, uh, a day.”_ _

__

__Angus was no dumb kid, he knew what a bad day could do to a person and knew by the circles under his friend’s eyes and the way that his heavy shoulders slumped that Magnus was being genuine. Nodding, and standing up to his full height (only respectfully, and maybe a bit habitually) he looked up at his friend through his eyelashes as he did the same._ _

__“I, uh, I understand, sir.” Angus did understand, but he couldn’t help the smallest bit of dejection from lacing his words. “I hope you feel better tomorrow, and i’ll come by with some soup, okay? D-do you like soup, sir? They’ve probably got tomato in the cafeteria, right?”_ _

__

__Chuckling, Magnus (with shaky hands, the detective noted idly, and with a frown) tied the bracelet around his wrist and ruffled Angus’s hair. Angus didn’t dodge out of the way, and his hair was real tousled. “I appreciate it, kiddo. Get some sleep, okay? You really shouldn’t stay up so late, dude, someone like you who’s still growing needs a ton of sleep, y’know?”_ _

__

__“Yeah, yeah, I _know_ ,” Angus winced slightly as Magnus took on that fatherly tone, one more reminder of his status; only a child in the eyes of his peers. “You too, though, sir! You look… _really_ tired. Have _you_ been sleeping okay? My grandpa always- always told me that, uh- well, let’s not think about all of that, ok, sleep is just important, l-like you said! ”_ _

__

__Magnus had already walked to the main door and paused to look back at the boy who had just paused and frozen as if the next words that he spoke would shatter him, would break his little boy heart that was already so so torn up and bruised and fragile. Angus had been absolutely repressing those memories of his grandfather, his family, everyone - and Magnus, if anyone, knew just how well that worked._ _

__

__“Ango, I love you lots, yeah? I’ll always be here for you, you know that, right?”_ _

__

__“I...” Angus trailed off, brown eyes wide. “Y-Yes, sir! I know that you and Taako and Merle all like to play good jokes and steal my stuff a whole bunch, but I know that’s just a good goof between g-good pals!” He looked so young, all polite words and desire for validation and attention from those he looked up to._ _

__

__“Alright, buddy - tomorrow i’ll tell you all about how much I love this dang gift, okay?” Angus nodded, fervently, before readjusting his glasses and looking at his friend to continue. “I love it, though- can I show Steven? I bed he’d love to see it, he’s got a real eye for color,”_ _

__

__“I-It is true that the common goldfish can see more colors than we can, I think they’re tetrachromats, actually, which is really cool! I hope he likes it, sir!” Magnus looked like he was trying to repeat the word Angus had said to him with the smallest of a frown on his face, before shrugging, and offering a small smile to his pal._ _

__

__“I bet he won’t love it as much as _I_ do, though. Go get some rest, Ango, okay? Swing by tomorrow, I think Taako stocked up on that cereal you like so much,”_ _

__“What, Aara-Cocoa Crunch, or Apple Dapples?” Those were… The worst cereal names Magnus had ever heard, but Angus had the right brand in mind - the pantry in the Tres Horny Bois estate was stocked with this cheap off-brand cereal. Magnus nodded, slowly, trying not to laugh at, or question, ‘Apple Dapples’. “Oh, gosh! I, he, uh- he really didn’t need to do that…!”_ _

__

__“Nah, don’t sweat it, Ango, Taako and I are both, uh... Well, let’s say that some days we can’t do more than a bowl of cereal, so honestly, we’re lookin’ pretty good with all these… Apple Dapples? What even is a dapple, Ango?”_ _

__

__Angus frowned, before- and Magnus swore he saw it- a lightbulb went off over his head, as they were often prone to doing. “Oh! I feel like that too, sometimes, so having these cereals on hand is super good and helpful! I hope you don’t have to live off of just that, though. I tried that once, when I turned 10! It was really bad, and I got very sick, sir! And a dapple is, uh, a verb to describe the way light falls? Like, to mark with small patches or spots, yeah?”_ _

__

__“Oh, geez, uh, i’m rambling again, huh?” Magnus shook his head but Angus didn’t seem to notice, face practically falling again. “Gosh, I just trapped you in conversation, didn’t I? That was real rude of me, sir, i’m sorry! Please go get some rest, i’ll bring you some soup tomorrow, uh, t-tell Steven I say hello, and ask him what his favorite colors are for me, please,”_ _

__

__“His favorite color is, uh… Gosh, I’ll ask him, yeah. Night, Ango. Dont stay up too late, make sure to take your vitamins? Do you take vitamins?” Angus made a face, before covering it up with an almost too-quick shake of his head. “Yeah, take those vitamins, kiddo they’re good for you, and I think they have gummy vitamins at Fantasy Costco - those things are my _jam_. Anyway, yeah, night kiddo. Please get some rest, okay?”_ _

__

__“G-Goodnight, sir! I hope you feel better, and that your voidfish encounters don’t make you stay up so late!”_ _

__

__“M-My what?”_ _

__

__Angus squeaked, “N-Nothing, sir! Good night! I-”_ _

__

__The door of the elevator closed, and Magnus could hear the cut off “I love you!” from inside. He grinned all the way down to his floor, a warm feeling in his chest as he inspected the bracelet with a more clear mind._ _

__

__-_ _

__Angus was _really_ considering knocking on the door of Merle’s room, hanging the bracelet on the knob like a wreath of ivy and yellow roses, and absolutely _booking it_ out of there. He’d done the gift exchange twice before, so he could do it a third time, right?_ _

__

__(Angus had read at least one flower symbolism book, some time ago, somewhere; long before the Bureau, or Rockport Limited, somewhere with warm sunlight and a nice, comfortable chair in a well lit living room, smelling like vanilla and candles and feeling like home.)_ _

__

__Gosh, he sure hoped he could do this! All this anxiety over whether his friends would like his gifts was starting to eat away at him, to the point where he just couldn’t take it anymore, and he had to get it over with. The sun was spilling over the horizon, early morning sun peeking over the base (The day and night cycle was so messed up, Angus had learned to just roll with it) as he stood in the main center of his friend’s flat with his big book of bracelets and strings under one arm._ _

__

__Taako was absolutely destroying a bowl of Apple Dapples and, judging by the snores just barely audible, Magnus was still asleep. Merle was sitting on a worn old chair in the living room (“the chill zone, dude” Taako had corrected), and was idly flipping through his extreme teen bible with one hand and holding a mug decorated with what Angus assumed to be painted chrysanthemums and filled to the brim with some tea that the boy had seen at Fantasy Costco, in the other. The dwarf did not look up as the detective filed in with his shoulders squared, with a determined spring in his step._ _

__

__“Hey, Angus, uh? What’s shaking, bud?” Taako called from the other side of the room, mouth full of cheap off-brand cereal. “These apple things are my _shit_ , dude, who knew you’d have such a good cereal taste? May or may not have traded Merle’s favorite mug to the deals warlock for their entire inventory of the stuff, _may or may not have_. Don’t look at me like that, Agnes, c’mon,”_ _

__“Sir, what if other people in the Bureau want Apple Dapples?”_ _

__

__“....Tough shit, bud. I’ve got the Apple Dapple economy on lockdown, man. I’m the go-to Apple Dapple Man.” Angus looked at him in absolute anguish, and Taako added, after a pause, “Okay, okay- I guess i’ll let you in on this rad money scheme, pumpkin, but just this once. Get over here and help me finish this box, yeah?”_ _

__“That sounds really good, sir, but I have to do a really big thing first!” Angus replied as he walked down the two step dip in the floor that led to the “Chill Zone”, brown eyes wide as he took tentative step after step towards the dwarf. Every footfall sounded loud and his legs felt like lead weights. Every step was causing his hands to shake, but Merle continued to read his book and take small sips of his drink as if he didn’t have a care in the world._ _

__

__After much difficulty, Angus finally stood in front of the man with a flushed face and hands on his hips, arms shaking just the smallest amount and a tiny hand clenched around his gift, opting to set the book down in front of him as a peace offering, a wall, a barrier. The sound of his breathing was certainly loud enough to be heard, he thought with a sudden moment of panic, as Taako continued to poke at and eat his cereal. The repetitive noise of the spoon hitting the rim of the bowl made Angus’s skin crawl._ _

__

__“S-Sir, uh...I-I’ve spent a good month or so, or what I _believe_ to be month, moon time is _weird_ , working on perfecting what I think is a very good gift!!” _ _

__

__Nothing. No reaction, not even a twitch in Merle’s facial expression, but Angus tensed to dispel the rising apprehension tightening in his chest, blinking once, twice, three times. He could do this._ _

__

__“It’s kind of… _Juvenile_ , b-but, I made…. I made you….” Angus felt the words stick to the top of his mouth like honey, and he blinked, scowling as he tried to discern the words that he wanted to say, and to put them in the order that would sound the best. “I made you, sir, a friendship bracelet…? I-It took me a really long time t-to make, and I just, just w-wanted to express how thankful I am t-”_ _

__

__Angus practically cut himself off with a yelp as Merle, brown eyes still bleary with sleep, looked up from the book and directly into the boy’s; he paused, to take a sip of tea (And the boy detective, now standing closer, could smell the scent of Lavender that wafted from it; did Merle have sleeping problems?, Angus wondered, making a note to investigate further later). He was almost mirroring Angus’s prior expression, and the boy stood, almost mortified, as the dwarf (slowly, slowly) dog-eared his book and set his mug down on the new, nicely carved dark wood coffee table that Angus decided must have been the newest decoration in the home._ _

__

__Okay, so, it was a habit for Angus to overanalyze, well… Everything, so taking notes on the new things in the home of his friends was nothing surprising, nothing new to Angus Mcdonald. There were a few crystals placed on the windowsill of the largest window in the home, along with some plants that were just starting to get a bit large and explore out of their native planters. The kitchen was the messiest Angus had ever seen it; bowls in the sink, cooking supplies scattered about, etcetera. The couch was a mess as well, a brightly knit quilt covering the gross brown fabric, like someone had just rolled out of their couch bed. He assumed Taako must have slept there, and he frowned. That was probably really bad on his friends back, he thought, he really has got to sleep in a bed some time! That’s what beds were for, right?_ _

__

__“ _Kid_ -” Angus was jarred back to reality as Merle learned forward, one hand on his neck and the other folded neatly on his knee. “You make it so, so hard to not like you. Can’t ya just, oh, I don’t know, break my arm or something? _Friendship bracelets_ , for Pan’s sake-”_ _

__

__“S-sir? I,” Angus, bless his heart, paused again; Didn’t Merle despise him? The detective couldn't remember a day where the cleric had said a nice thing to him, a _legitimately_ nice thing to him, and he felt his face flush as the almost-compliment. “I-I mean, you don’t have t-to take it, you know, i”ll just, uh...”_ _

__

__“ _No_ , no, I mean- don’t look at me like that, kid, let me see the bracelet?” The request was phrased in a question, which only fueled Angus’s “ _??????_ ” train of thought, but as Merle held out his hand, Angus tried to still his shaky arm and deposited the bracelet in the twisting tree of an arm that Merle had. It was blooming with small colorful buds of what Angus decided to be a flower he’d never seen- the buds looked like wildflowers, but what kind of wildflowers grow on trees? Gosh, this day was just one confusing thing after another! Angus had never felt so out of his element. _ _

__

__The bracelet, while simple, was oddly elegant in a way that made Merle almost do a double take. The base, at first, appeared to be a very solid dark green, but upon heavier inspection was actually several shades of green, behind a repeating yellow flower pattern in the center. It was wide, and simple, and most certainly something that the cleric could not recreate. There was a loop on one end, and a black button on the other, and the bracelet had three charms; a train, a flower, and a book (what merle assumed to be his Extreme Teen Bible)._ _

__

__Merle really, really, really loved it. He loved the same way someone loves an old memory, with a creeping sense of nostalgia that makes you crave something simpler, something warm, somewhere just beyond your reach._ _

__

__“Angus….. Did I ever tell you about, _oh_ , a thing called Pan Camp?” Angus shook his head, trying to recollect if he’d ever heard that phrase before. When he replied with a small, “n-no, sir?”, Merle sat back as if ready to spill the most epic of tales, the ghost of a smile on his lips (or, his face- Angus couldn’t really see his lips, what with the beard and all), and gestured at the empty couch across from him. Angus took a seat without complaint, but not before taking a moment to at least tuck in the blanket haphazardly strewn over it. He sank into the couch like it was a bean-bag, and looked at Merle with wide, anticipating eyes as the Dwarf took his tea back into his hands. _ _

__

__“Well, when I was very, very, very young-” the concept of young Merle was one than Angus Mcdonald almost couldn’t fathom; every ‘Young Merle’ still had a full beard- “My folks were totally into shoving religion down my throat. Like, _seriously_ , I had to go to Pan Camp, Angus. _Pan Camp_.”_ _

__

__“Sir, sorry to interrupt, b-but you still haven’t even told me what Pan Camp _is_?”_ _

__

__“Oh, yeahh, right- Anyway, Pan Camp was your generic run-of-the-mill religion summer camp, you know?_ _

__

__“N-no, sir….?”_ _

__

__“ _Lucky punk_ \-- Back to the story, though. Pan Camp is good, at first. Cute girls, kayak rides along the coast, can’t beat it,” Merle looked almost wistful for a moment, caught up in some memory of better days while Angus sat and tried to relate. The smell of lavender was so heavy in the air, he was able to get lost in it; He didn’t even notice when Taako practically sauntered over with a new bowl of cereal in hand, sat next to him with barely a bounce in the cushions, and set the bowl on his lap as he stretched his arms to the sky. _ _

__

__“ _Taako_ ,” _ _

__

__“Hey, old dude, think i’d listen in on Story Time with Merle from afar? No sir, this ass is sitting right here and listening to this, my guy, ain’t no way around it,”_ _

__

__“Ugh, _fine_ , but if you interrupt one more time-”_ _

__

__“-Yeah, yeah, you’ll ‘ _Insect Plague_ ’ me or something totally lame like that, I _know_. Just continue this cool cool story, my dude.”_ _

__

__Merle looked like he was about to burn a spell slot, maybe two, when the third boy in the party appeared in the doorway of the main area of the home, wearing footie pajamas and hair aloof. As soon as he realized what kind of situation was going down, he practically vaulted over the couch, this time causing the smallest ripple to rock Angus and Taako as Magnus landed on the other side of the boy detective._ _

__

__“Is Merle telling a story, guys? Why didn’t you wake me up?” he pouted, as Merle leaned back in his chair with just about the loudest sigh Angus had ever heard in his whole life._ _

__

__“Well, I _was_ telling a story, but,” Merle’s statement was instantly met with an outcry of ‘ _no’s_!’, and Angus swore he saw the cleric give a devious grin. Both of his friends on either side, fulfilled with his presence; Angus was so, so, so content, and he tried to suppress his grin as Taako and Merle and Magnus bickered._ _

__

__“Hey, hey- I wasn’t the one that interrupted you, only send Taako out!”_ _

__

__“Um, _fuck you_ , perhaps? I was here first, dude, first come first serve”_ _

__

__“A-Actually, sirs, I was here firs-”_ _

__

__“-Angus, kiddo, _I_ was here first, and now i’m being cornered into telling a story!”_ _

__

__“YOU _SAID_ YOU WERE GONNA TELL A STORY, DUDE-”_ _

__“Alright, alright!” Merle practically shouted, and almost as if it was their plan all along, Taako and Magnus settled into their respective seats with impeccable posture as Angus clasped one hand, and then two, over his mouth to suppress his giggles. The bowl of Apple Dapples had spilled slightly onto the knitted blanket, but Taako was so captivated by the concept of Merle’s Story Time that he barely noticed the bit of milk that had sloshed out of the bowl._ _

__

__“Okay, uh- once upon a time, there was a little dwarf that made friendship bracelets at Pan Camp, _The End_ ,” Merle took a sip of his tea as Taako and Merle groaned and Taako stood up from his seat with a huff to put the almost untouched bowl of cereal he’d brought over on the counter with the most upset walk Angus had seen from him yet. Magnus simply scowled. _ _

__

__Angus saw this as the perfect time to speak up, to participate! That’s what people do in this sort of situation, right? “Sir, d-do you… Do you remember how to make any of the friendship bracelets you made at, uh, at Pan Camp?”_ _

__

__Merle makes wild hand gestures from Taako to Angus, looking back and forth from the two of them. “ _See_! When someone tells a story, a very personal heartfelt story, you’re supposed to ask questions!”_ _

__

__Taako leaned over the chair Merle sat in, grinning, one hand extended to examine his own nails (which were a very soft shade of purple - plum, really - that danced in the light. On the same hand sat the bracelet, Angus realized with a shock, and now he couldn’t contain the biggest grin from spreading across his face). “Show me a personal heartfelt story and all ask some stellar fucking questions, my man.” He then walked around and sat right back down in the Taako-sized divot in the couch, reaching over to ruffle Angus’s hair._ _

__

__“Y-You’re wearing the bracelet!” Angus practically exclaimed, so excited about the concept of ‘he likes it, he really likes it!’ to be formal. Taako gave him a lopsided grin, and finger guns in response._ _

__

__“Well, hell yeah, dude? I was being serious when I said that I absolutely digged it, y’know- I don’t think i’ve taken it off since you gave it to me four days ago, now that I think about it,”_ _

__

__“Yeah, Ango, they’re super cool!”, Magnus piped up from where he sat, “The best Candlenights gift i’ve ever received, for sure.”_ _

__

__“Sir, Candlenights doesn’t really start for, uh….five months?”_ _

__

__“Hey, Ango, Candlenights starts whenever you want it to start, okay? Let me have this.”_ _

__

__Merle did a small ‘ahem’, before continuing, “Geez, uh… Not really, kiddo- kid. _Kid_. It, uh,” he paused to give a small chuckle, and you can practically hear Taako roll his eyes. “It’s been a few years, yeah.”_ _

__

__Angus pretended not to hear the “ _a few years, my ass_ ” remark muttered from the wizard by his side, instead watching Merle slip on the bracelet with no difficulty.  
“Geez, this is gonna be awkward to ask, but… Angus? Could you, uh….. Geez, _yikes_ , this is hard, uh,” Merle took another sip of his tea, as Angus tilted his head to the side as he considered just how good that fake pause was, “Could you… Reteach me? How, uh, how to make friendship bracelets? I have, y’know….. _Friends_ , and friendship bracelets are what _friends like_ , _right, Angus_?” _ _

__

__Angus was no boy dunce, and he knew what Merle was referring to- after his encounter with the dwarf’s two kids, and after the mild rant he’d given the detective, he had no doubt that Merle wanted to make something for Mavis and Mookie. He grinned at Merle, and gave his best subtle detective wink. As he did so, Angus moved to the floor and sat criss-cross, moving the heavy book onto his lap with a small grunt as Merle moved down onto the floor as well._ _

__

__“If we’re doing a friendship bracelet making class, I want in, yo! These things are rad as shit, and, like, look how many Ango has! That’s _gotta_ be some fashion statement, right?” Taako had moved down off the couch with him, bringing the blanket along for the ride. “Besides…. I too have, uh, a... _friend_ I’d like to make one for. How many black strings do you have, dude?”_ _

__

__Okay, Taako didn’t have any secret kids, Angus was certain, but he was so super sure that the bracelet his friend wanted to make was for the mystery man he’d seen walking with his friend in the grassy quad outside, earlier in the month. His grin was permanently plastered on his face as Magnus dropped down with a heavy thud on his other side, with Steven in hand! The goldfish was getting quite large, and Angus gave a small gasp as it did a small flip in the bowl._ _

__

__Man, Steven was so rad. The coolest fish, and most certainly deserving of a friendship bracelet, too._ _

__

__“What, y’all were just gonna have a bracelet party without me and my boy Steven?” Magnus questioned, and now, Angus couldn’t control his small laughs as he flipped through the book to find the easiest bracelet he could._ _

__“Well, i mean, that _was_ the plan, but…” Merle started, and Magnus elbowed him playfully with a scoff as Taako rolled his eyes and nudged Angus as if to say “ _these idiots, right_?”_ _

__

__“Okay, okay- the friendship bracelet class is in session now, shhhh!” Angus could barely choke out his words before he was caught up in his own laughter again, and the Boys grinned wide. “Sirs, t-the first bracelet i’ll tell you how to make is, uh, the three string fishtail!” He pointed at the diagram and watched as his friends leaned over to look. The three of them instantly made a grab for the string box, hands getting caught and tangled up in each other, and the bickering continued up again, as if it was an old routine ._ _

__

__In that moment, Angus, for the first time in a long time, really didn’t know where else he’d rather be._ _

**Author's Note:**

> come have a friendship bracelet party with me on tumblr @horticulturebro.
> 
> and another shoutout to my pals who proofread this and like?? everyone??? y'all are too nice and good to me, and this probably wouldnt have been posted without y'all...... ur nice words rlly kept me going tbh , ily all a whole bunch


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